


Pause Café

by cryingtoast



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: A bit of angst ?, Cute, F/F, Fluff, I just love jeongchaeng, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 08:45:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17241152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryingtoast/pseuds/cryingtoast
Summary: Jeongyeon had a rather plain life, until she dyed her hair pink and Chaeyoung appeared.





	1. Pink Drink

**Author's Note:**

> reupload !! we need more jeongchaeng stuff... I'll try to update this soon but HHH so many projects... 
> 
> sorry for any mistakes in advance,   
> enjoy, 
> 
> toast

Nayeon was the one who told her to dye her hair pink. Told her to spice up her life a little, and she agreed. She had nothing to lose, anyway. She opted for a light pink, something not to bright nor unnoticeable. 

The first few days after she did it, she kept checking it in the mirror every morning after waking up, making sure that the pink was still there. She liked it. It reminded her of the cherry blossom pics Sana liked to send her when she was in Japan, of cotton candy and the sunset. She decided to keep her hair like that longer than she had first intended to. 

She noticed more people looking at her in the street, but that was all that changed. Nothing magical happened to her, she was still stuck to her job as a librarian, random guys she never wanted to approche again still kept trying to talk to her, and her plants at home kept dying. 

She sighed heavily and plopped herself on the chair at the opposite side of the table Naeyon had reserved for lunch. 

« What’s up ? Why are you so down ? » Nayeon asked, not even looking up from her phone. Jeongyeon sighed again, her fingers playing with the slightly shredded menu in front of her. 

« Nothing. I’m bored. » Nayeon glared at her, her eyes finally leaving the screen. « Not, not right now particularly. In general. I feel like I’m missing out a lot of things, but I don’t know what. » 

Her best friend’s gaze softened, and the girl hummed.

« Come with me tonight. Sana found a new nightclub, and she’s been dying to go there for weeks. » Jeongyeon opened her mouth to complain, but Nayeon didn’t let her. « shh, I know, they’re not you’re thing, but please ? Just tonight ? Maybe you’ll meet cool people. You said you were bored. »

Jeongyeon crossed her arms and stared at the girl across the table. She let out a third sigh and nodded.

« Great ! » Naeyon clapped her hands. « I’ll pick you up at 9. Now, what should we order ? »

— 

Jeongyeon was expecting the usual nightclub with loud music and sweaty bodies moving around, not a room with pretty colors and a smoothing atmosphere. It was radiating a comforting ambiance, the soft blue and pink neon surrounding the people dancing in the middle to a song she couldn’t recognize. On her left, the bartender was chatting with Sana, the Japanese girl nodding along. 

Nayeon sat beside her girlfriend, and Jeongyeon decided to explore the place a bit. It was intriguing, how a nightclub could be animated yet peaceful. She wandered around the room, eyes scanning the faces of strangers, her heartbeat matching to the music. she thought that her hair really fitted the place, and she ran a hand through it, wondering if the color was noticeable under such lights. 

She went back to her friends, feeling happy for the first time in a place like a nightclub. Nayeon offered to pay for their drinks, and she tapped her fingers against the wood of the barstool, thinking about what to get. 

« Order a Pink Lady. »

She furrowed her brows and turned her head towards the direction of the voice. A short girl with long black hair was looking at her, a grin on her face. She was wearing a wide blue sweater that looked too big for her, her turtleneck peaking around her neck. She looked much younger than Jeongyeon, and she almost asked her if she was allowed to be in a place like this. She watched as the bartender greeted the petite girl, and she stopped herself from asking. 

« Why should I ? »

The short girl stepped a little closer to her, and Jeongyeon watched carefully as the girl’s big wide eyes seemed to sparkle under the light. 

« Because girls with pretty hair should drink pretty drinks. » Jeongyeon tilted her head, her eyes squinting a bit. The girl in front of her looked proud of herself, a wide smile on her face, her fingers holding the end of her (too long) sleeves in a cute manner. « it’s a strong drink, though. Gin, brandy, grenadine and egg white, a little bit of lemon juice and ice. It has the same color as your hair, it’s really nice. »

« You’re convincing. I’ll take one. » she gave a quick look to the bartender to check if he had taken her order, and set her gaze back on the stranger. « and who are you ? » 

The girl jumped on the stool on her right with a soft ‘ompf’ and ordered a Mojito, before leaning a little on the counter. She stretched her arms and let out a yawn. 

« What do you want to know ? » the glint in the stranger eye was still here, and Jeongyeon found herself almost drowning in them.

« Anything. » she said in a whisper, and the girl giggled. She didn’t say a thing, though, as their drinks were handed to them. Joengyeon watched with wide eyes as the strange girl almost drank hers in one go. The girl muttered a small ‘I was thirsty’, a blush spreading across her face, when she noticed that Jeongyeon was staring at her. 

«  If you drink yours quickly enough, I might be able to show you something special. » 

« Is that a challenge ? » she smirked at the shorter girl and tasted her drink before going for it. It was sweet, the taste of alcohol was strong but not enough to stop her. She gripped a little harder with her fingers on the thin glass before gulping down the whole thing. She licked her lips before turning her gaze back to the stranger. 

The girl had a wide smile on her face and jumped from her stool the moment she set back her glass on the counter. She grabbed Jeongyeon’s wrist and pulled her forward.

« Let’s go ! I won’t be able to show you later. » 

« Wait, my friends- » she turned around only to discover that Nayeon and Sana had disappeared. She sighed and ran her free hand through her hair. Who was going to take her back home ? She felt a tug on her other hand and gave her attention back to the short girl.

« Is everything ok ? »

« Yes, yes. Don’t worry. » she smiled at the worried face of the girl. « Come on, show me your thing ? » she would worry about it later. 

The girl’s face lighted up and they made their way trough the room, passing near dancing bodies, getting closer to the DJ booth. Jeongyeon felt like she was floating, her mind focused on the girl walking in front of her, only the loud beat of the music reaching her ears, feeling mostly the titling sensation of the stranger girl hand around her wrist. 

They stopped at the side of the DJ booth, and the short girl asked something to the tall guy standing near the access. He let them pass and flashed a smile to Jeongyeon. She couldn’t hear a thing, the music being extremely loud. She grimaced and wondered how DJs did their work. She got her answer when the girl that had brought her here gave her a pair of headphones. She asked her to take a few more steps, and Jeongyeon eyes widened.

The perspective of the room from the booth was impressive. She could see every person, dancing or not, the bartender, where she walked to when she checked out the room, and she was almost sure she could also see Nayeon and Sana leave the club. She felt someone come closer to her, and glanced down. 

The black haired girl mouthed a ‘do you like it ?’ to her, as Jeongyeon understood it from lips reading, and she nodded. She discovered her new friend had a dimple when the girl flashed her a satisfied smile. She wondered how she missed it back at the bar. 

They stayed at the booth a little more, before Jeongyeon began to feel a little dizzy. They left the booth and the short girl proposed to get some fresh air outside. She asked for a water bottle before exiting the club, and they sat on the pavement outside. 

« My name is Chaeyoung, by the way. » she told her while opening the water bottle, and Jeongyeon gladly accepted it when the girl handed it to her. 

« Well, nice to meet you, Chaeyoung. I’m Jeongyeon. » 

« What do you do in life, J ? » the pink haired girl smiled at the already settled nickname. 

« Studying law. Becoming a lawyer would be nice. You ? » 

« Hm, I’m studying at an art college. I don’t know what I want to do yet. » she got up and kicked a rock towards the road. « I’m just waiting for opportunities, I guess. We’re still young. » she crouched back down and plucked a small flower that had made it’s way through the pavement. She pressed it between her fingers, squeezing the petals and tearing them apart. « My parents wanted me to study law. But, no offense to you, I don’t find it that interesting. » 

Joengyeon nodded. She understood what Chaeyoung meant. If it was not for her parents and her worry of the future, she would have become a teacher. She closed her eyes as a breeze went by, and she shivered a little. Chaeyoung asked her if she was cold and if she wanted to eat something. 

« Yes, to both. Are you offering something ? » she got up too and stumbled a little. Chaeyoung grabbed her shoulder and she gave her a small smile.

« Instant noodles at my place, what do you think ? I don’t live far and there’s a convenience store around the corner.» 

Jeongyeon thought about it a little. No one could take her home, she didn’t want to use public transport at all, and Chaeyoung appeared to have genuine intentions. And she liked the girl. So she linked their arms without a word, and they left the place. Chaeyoung bought to packs of noodles and snacks and they made their way to her apartment. 

On their way, they stopped by a bridge when Chaeyoung asked her to just stand there. She gave the plastic bag to Jeongyeon and ran a little far form the girl. The pink haired girl laughed when the short girl almost fell and stopped when she noticed that the short girl had taken a picture of her. She pouted a bit and Chaeyoung gave her a thumbs up. She smiled, and tried posing for her. 

Looking at her photographer, at the water under the bridge, or just doing funny poses. Chaeyoung happily clapped her hands and gestured for her to come join her. They chatted about the pics and Chaeyoung’s love for photography. They laughed at her silly faces, but Jeongyeon also asked her to send her the best pictures. They exchanged numbers, Chaeyoung nicknamed her ‘Pink Lady’ and Jeongyeon, ‘shortie’. 

Chaeyoung punched her playfully, but she didn’t look angry at all. 

They finally reached the short girl appartement. It was rather small, having the strict necessary : a kitchen, a living room and a bathroom. Chaeyoung explained that the couch could turn into a bed. Jeongyeon was surprised at how plain the apartment looked for someone like Chaeyoung, but changed her mind when she fully stepped in. 

The right wall of the living room, hidden by the kitchen, was covered with shelves full of vinyls. At the bottom, boxes of paint, newspapers and canvases. She ran a hand on the vinyls, feeling the little bumps between each one on the tips of her fingers. 

« You can take one out, if you want. » Chaeyoung said from the kitchen. She hummed as an answer and pulled the one her fingers were resting on. The cover was a rather simple one, with ‘Fame’ written in the middle of it in a red bold typography on a black background. 

She sat on the couch and waited for Chaeyoung to join her. She looked around the room, at the magazine spread on the coffee table, the small television, the desk covered in papers and pens, hiding a laptop. it was messy, but not the bad kind. Chaeyoung came back into the room, holding the instant noodles. She asked Jeongyeon to push the magazines on the floor and the girl obliged. 

« You picked a good one. » Chaeyoung took the vinyl from her laps, and slid the disk out of its pocket. « I mean, they’re all good, but I like this one a lot. We can put it on. Here, that’s the vinyl player.»

Jeongyeon watched as her new friend carefully set everything up. She started eating her noodles as the first notes rolled by. Chaeyoung went back to the couch next to her and they shared their late dinner listening to the song. She made a mental note to add it on her phone, as she liked it, and Chaeyoung softy muttering the lyrics next to her made it even better. 

Once they were finished, Chaeyoung suggested to go to the rooftop and watch the stars. Jeongyeon teased her about being a poetic and romantic mind but got ready to go there, leaving a blushing Chaeyoung on the couch. The short girl cleaned their meal and put the vinyl back into its place before joining her friend at the entrance of the apartment. 

She happily jumped climbed the stairs, Jeongyeon following close behind. She forced the door open, since she was supposedly not allowed to go to the rooftop. The pink haired girl behind her raised an eyebrow at how much strength the girl managed to use, and Chaeyoung simply winked back at her. 

They settled in the middle of the rooftop, Chaeyoung hiding half of her face in her sweater, her hands disappearing. 

« You look like you’re ready to sleep. »

Chaeyoung laughed, and it came out muffled by the sweater, but Jeongyeon still found the sound really nice. She laid next to the short girl and sighed when she saw how clear the sky was. It was a moonless night, and the stars were shining bright. They stayed silent for a while, and she wondered if Chaeyoung had fallen asleep. Apparently, comfortable silents were their thing already. 

She turned her head to see, but the girl was awake. Her gaze was focused on a particular point in the sky that Jeongyeon couldn’t exactly pinpoint. 

« Chaeyoung. » the short girl’s eyes fluttered shut at her name being called so suddenly, but she opened them back quickly. « how did you notice I had pink hair ? I’m pretty sure it was not visible in the club. »

« I… actually didn’t know. » A pause. 

« What ? But you complimented my hair, and asked me to order a Pink Lady ? »

« Yes, I was talking about the haircut. Never said a thing about colors. » Jeongyeon blinked a few times, confused. « I recommended drinking a Pink Lady because I know it’s good. Do you really have pink hair ? » Chaeyoung stared at her. The glint in her eyes was still there. 

« Can’t you see it ? » Jeongyeon was lost. 

« I suffer from Achromatopsia, J. I see the world in grey. I don’t see colors and the sun makes it hard for me too see most of the time. » 

Jeongyeon eyes widened at the revelation. She opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. What could she say ? Chaeyoung’s eyes left her face and stared at the stars again.

« I still want to be an artist. I know colors, the symptoms appeared when I was around 7. All my pens and paint tubs are marked. » she tapped her fingers on the floor. « Tell me about your hair. Is it a soft pink or a vibrant one ? Do people notice it a lot ? Did you make the decision by yourself ? » 

That night, Jeongeyon discovered that Chaeyoung was a curious kid, a hopeful mind and someone determinate to show the world that her disability would not stop her. 

Little did she know that it was just the beginning of a new life.


	2. Polaroid one

It was past noon when Jeongyeon woke up. She had agreed to stay at Chaeyoung’s apartment for the night, since it was really late when they stopped talking. 

The sun was pouring in the apartment, illuminating the whole space with a warm and bright light. She stirred her arms with a soft whine, carefully not to hit the girl sleeping beside her. She remembered their discussion the day before and got up to close the curtains, the sun hitting Chaeyoung’s face. She wouldn’t like the girl to wake up and hurt her eyes. 

She sat back on the bed - or couch ? Bed couch ? She didn’t know. She checked her phone only to discover that it had been flooded by Nayeon’s texts notifications. She opened them with a sigh, and simply texted back that she was ok without reading the texts. She laid back against the wall and ignored the reply that her friend sent her in a second.

As she checked the news and her social medias to see if anything happened, she felt something on on her arm and looked down to see a hand resting there. 

Chaeyoung was looking at her with half closed eyes and a sleepy smile on her face. 

« Thank you for taking care of the light. It’s really nice of you. » her voice sounded husky, really different from the previous night. « did you sleep well ? » the short girl rubbed her eyes before lifting herself from the bed. 

« Yes. Your… » she stopped. « … couch is comfortable. » 

Chaeyoung chuckled and got off the bed, stumbled to the kitchen, her legs still half asleep. 

« Do you want a glass of water ? » 

« That would be nice, thank you. » 

While Chaeyoung took care of their drinks, Jeongyeon decided to snoop a little and approached the canvases on the floor. A few were still blank, but most of them were painted. Portraits, landscapes. All were colorful and really well done. One of the portrait really caught her eyes ; it was unfinished, the hair being only half way done, but the expression on the woman’s face was full of details and looked almost too real to be a painting. 

« That’s my grandmother. » Chaeyoung sat on the floor next to her and handed her a glass. « she helped me a lot when I turned color blind. Bought me my first color pencils box with the names of the colors on them, for me to know which color I was using. It might still be somewhere around here… » she took a sip of water and looked at the ground. « It’s unfinished because she died before I could. I didn’t want to use a picture as a reference. She was my first model, always loved to do it. It was supposed to be a gift for her. »

Jeongyeon hesitated to grab the short girl’s hand. 

« Finish it. You’re only missing some of the hair, but I’m sure you can do it from memory, Chaeyoung. » the girl looked up at her. « and then we can take it together to her grave once it’s done. Okay ? » this time, she grabbed her friend’s free hand. 

« Okay. » a breath. « Okay. » 

They left later, Jeongyeon had asked Chaeyoung if she wanted to have lunch with her and her friends. The short girl had agreed after Jeongyeon explained that it was the two girls she was with yesterday at the club. Chaeyoung told her she had talked with Sana when she arrived there, and she had found the Japanese girl fun. 

Chaeyoung had a cap on to protect herself from the sun, and since it was still a little chilly outside, she had opted for a wide white sweater and jeans as clothes. Jeongyeon had complimented her on her self designated shoes, and the short girl had to throw her head back to look at Jeongyeon and thanked her with a toothy smile. Her eyes were almost not visible, and she looked like a kid, but Jeongyeon would be lying if she said it wasn’t the cutest thing ever. 

They took the bus to reach their destination, and Chaeyoung had to hold onto Jeongyeon since there was too many people, and she was not tall enough to grab a free handle. 

Jeongyeon almost threw a fit against a guy that pushed her small friend while leaving the bus, but Chaeyoung stopped her. It was not necessary, and the guy apologized anyway. 

Chaeyoung hoped off the bus when they reached they stop, and quickly put a hand over her cap when wind welcomed her. 

« Careful, you don’t wait to fly away. » Jeongyeon joked, and the short girl just groaned. 

Sana and Nayeon were waiting for them inside the Japanese restaurant they had chosen, and Sana quiet literally jumped from her chair when she saw them. She hugged Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon complained about being one of best friends but not getting hugged first. 

« Unnie please stop I can’t breath, » Chaeyoung said in a short breath, and Nayeon pulled her girlfriend by the shoulder.

« Don’t kill the kid, Sana. »

« I’m not a kid ! »

« You look like one. » 

« Your friend is rude, J. Maybe I shouldn’t have come. » 

She glared at Nayeon, and the older girl laughed at Chaeyoung’s attempt to look dangerous. Sana looked at Jeongyeon after hearing the little nickname the short girl had given her, but the pink haired girl didn’t say anything. Sana could think what she wanted. 

They settled around the table, and Chaeyoung gasped at the prices on the menu. She looked up at the three older girls around her and quickly closed it. 

« What the fuck, I’m a broke college student ! Not a successful artist ! »

« Language ! » Nayeon said, laughing again at the panicked girl sitting in front of her.

« Sorry, whom the fu- »

« No. » she heard Sana chuckle beside her. « Also, I’m paying, don’t worry. » 

Chaeyoung looked at Nayeon with wide eyes before flashing her a smile and turning her attention back to Jeongyeon, pulling the girl’s arm to show her what she was interested on in the menu. A waiter came to take care of their order a few minutes later, and Nayeon decided it was time to understand who that gremlin was, how she managed to turn her girlfriend into mush in seconds and how her best friend got hooked on her so quickly. 

« Chaeyoung. » her tone was serious, and the short girl stared back at her. « Do you mind if I ask you some questions ? The Japanese dumbass over here couldn’t stop telling me how lovely you were to her yesterday and I would like to know more. » Sana pinched her leg and pouted, but she didn’t react. Habits. 

« Sure, go on. » 

« What do you do ? At school, in life in general ? »

« I’m a freshman at an art university. I work at a flower shop on week days to financially help my parents to pay for my apartment bills and scholarship. I’m still in a blur about what I want to do in the future, but I’m confident it’ll be fine. »

« Alright. Good luck with your studies. I guess you live alone ? » the short girl nodded. « young and independent, that’s good. So, my name is Nayeon. I’m studying law with Jeongyeon, and the Japanese girl making stupid faces at you right now wants to open a bakery in the future, so cooking school. » 

Chaeyoung finally let out the laughter she was trying to hold when Nayeon acknowledge the fact that her girlfriend was making grimaces in her direction. Jeongyeon watched as Chaeyoung almost fell from her chair from laughing too much, how Nayeon almost put her girlfriend into a headlock but didn’t do it, Sana’s squeals stopping her. 

« Girls, behave please, the food is coming. » they all stopped as Jeongyeon scolded them and got serious until the waiter left and Chaeyoung let out a tiny laugh as Sana made another funny face. Nayeon complained about the two of them being kids, but Jeongyeon was happy ; it was a nice Saturday meal. 

The rest of their lunch went well if you forget the two times Sana knocked off her glass, the guy who tried to hit on Jeongyeon, and Chaeyoung accidentally eating wasabi like it was normal good food. 

The short girl almost forgot her cap when they left the restaurant, but Jeongyeon didn’t. Chaeyoung thanked her like the did back in her apartment and pink haired girl was sure she was going to have an heart attack if she kept doing it. The four of them walked together to the subway station and Jeongyeon was going to ask Chaeyoung if she wanted to go to town with her when someone shouted the shorter girl name from across the street. 

The girl who called her crossed the street after making sure no cars were coming, and jumped in Chaeyoung’s arms.

« Chaeng, Chaeng ! I went to your apartment but you weren’t there. Did you go out to eat without me ? Rude ! » 

« I can explain, I can explain ! » Chaeyoung wiggled out of the stranger’s hold. « Guys, this is Momo, professional snack eater and best dancer around. » 

« Yes to both ! Nice to meet you ! » she bowed, and the three other girls bowed back at her. « Now, if you don’t mind, I’m stealing her from you all ! I’m sure we’ll meet again ! » 

She ran away with Chaeyoung before the younger girl could say a thing, and she only had the time to mimic that she would call them later. Jeongyeon simply waved, a little shaken by how fast things happened. She hoped Chaeyoung would really call her. She took the subway with Nayeon and Sana, a little disappointed. 

—

Chaeyoung didn’t call. 

She waited all afternoon, all evening, even watched that ridiculous drama Nayeon wouldn’t shut up about. She could understand. They only met the day before, after all. It still hurt a little. 

She turned the tv off when the episode she was half watching ended, got up from her couch and stretched her arms. She whined as her back made a cracking sound, and let her arms loose. She checked the time, sighing when she saw that it was only 10pm. She was bored again. 

Now that she thought about it, she had always been bored. Bored of the stupid kids in primary school, bored of her teachers and useless classmates in middle school, bored of the now too horny students for her taste in high school. She was lucky Nayeon became her friend in 8th grade, or she would have died of boredom. College was the same. A place full of people she knew she would likely never see again.

She began to wonder if she was the one who was boring. Maybe that was it ; she wasn’t interesting enough, never opening herself to people who tried to befriend her, never agreeing to going out with Nayeon and Sana. 

Maybe that’s why she found Chaeyoung so refreshing. She realized she almost didn’t speak at all about herself when they talked at the rooftop. Or at least she didn’t do it because she wanted to. She simply answered Chaeyoung’s questions about her hair, her family, her goals in life. Chaeyoung was curious, and Jeongyeon liked it. 

She ran a hand through her hair. Pink. Chaeyoung had told her it was her favorite color when she could still see them. Now, she used it less in her works, disappointed that she could not see the vibrant color anymore. Jeongyeon wondered how the world looked like for Chaeyoung ; was it really all grey ? Black and white ? She couldn’t imagine a world without at least a little stain of color. 

She opened a can of beer, grabbed her laptop and settled in the balcony. The fresh air of the night softly hit her face and she took a deep breath. She looked up Chaeyoung’s disease and spent the rest of her evening learning about colors, eyes and light. She was a little less bored. 

She decided to go to sleep after a mosquito chose her as its next victim. 

She spent the next day studying, keeping her phone next to her and only checking it when the little notification sound reached her ears. 

She left the building around 1pm to grab something to eat other than what she had at home, and crossed path with Jihyo, a girl who lived in the same building as her. 

« Hi, Jeongyeon ! » she had befriended the girl the first time they met, but still didn’t see her often. « How are you today ? »

« I’m good, thank you. I hope you are, too ? » Jihyo nodded. 

« Your new hair color is nice. Now, if you don’t mind. I have to go. » she bowed and Jeongyeon bowed back, smiling at the little compliment. She was going to leave too when she heard Jihyo calling her from the building staircase. 

« I’m having a little party with some friends next Friday. Would you be interested ? You can bring someone ! » 

Jeongyeon agreed. She needed to see more people ; she hoped Chaeyoung would call her, just to ask her to come that Friday. She reached the little bakery at the corner of her street and bought a sandwich and a donut. The nice lady taking care of the place knew her, and offered her a drink for free. Jeongyeon went back inside, her lunch in her arms, sipping from the tall plastic glass of hand made orange juice the woman had offered her. 

Chaeyoung still didn’t call. 

She told herself it didn’t really matter, but she felt as if Chaeyoung didn’t get attached to her as much as she did during the short time they spent together. It disturbed her : Chaeyoung was the one who approached her, after all. 

She went back to studying, probably the only thing that could cover her boredom. She turned the pages of her book, her eyes hovering over the different laws explained in it. She stopped at a rather curious one : ‘blue jeans are illegal in North Korea’. She scoffed and snapped a pic of the page to send it to Nayeon, when her phone rang.

She stared at the name of the user calling her on the screen. Shortie. She gasped and tapped the ‘accept’ button before it could disappear. 

« Hello J ! I’m sorry for not calling sooner ! » Jeongyeon could hear ruffling behind the voice.

« It’s alright. What were you up to, though ? That girl practically kidnapped you. » 

« Ah, it’s fine ! » Chaeyoung laughed. « It was my birthday yesterday, and my friends wanted to surprise me at my place, but since I left with you… didn’t work. » Jeongyeon heard another voice. « no, Momo, I really didn’t leave on purpose, stop saying that ! Sorry, J. » 

« We’re good. But why didn’t you tell me it was your birthday ? We could’ve gone to a better place, or a restaurant of your choice. » she tapped her pencil against the table. 

« No, Nayeon unnie has good taste, the food was good. And it didn’t come up, I guess ? I don’t really care about my birthday anyw- yes, Momo, I know you care, but the cake is probably the only reason why. » 

Jeongyeon smiled to herself as the two friends argued. It reminded her of her relationship with Nayeon - always finding an excuse to annoy the other, but still caring about them a lot. She got up from her studying spot, phone still in hand and grabbed her pack of cigarettes. 

She settled in the balcony and lighted one, waiting for Chaeyoung to come back to her. 

« So. What did you do today ? » her short friend asked in a happy tone.

« Studied. Waited for your call. I thought your friend murdered you at some point. » 

She heard someone scoff, and guessed that she was on speaker. Chaeyoung said something that sounded like ‘she’s right, you were scary’, followed by a whacking sound. 

« Chaeyoung ? It’s fine if you call me later. You seem busy. » 

« No, no no no. These little fu- little idiots will still be here until dinner so I won’t have time to call again. »

« Momo is not the only one with you ? » she tried to sound curious. 

« Hm. My two other best friends are also here. Sleeping on the floor, doesn’t seem conformable. Momo is eating all my snacks ? I think - stop kicking me ! » Chaeyoung stayed silent for a little while again. Jeongyeon tried to make circles with the smoke and grunted when she failed. « Anyway. There was a fourth person but she left this morning. » 

« Okay. A nice little party, then. »

« Yes ! I will send you some pics later. » 

« Did you get nice gifts ? » 

« Yeah, a bunch of great stuff actually ! Let me tell you - wait. » she heard Chaeyoung curse. « Tzuyu, you good ? You don’t look good. Ah, wait. Wait, the bathroom’s this way - Momo, care to, fuck, help ? » 

Jeongyeon laughed again. It sounded like a mess on the other side of the phone, and she was enjoying it. She heard Chaeyoung complain about how her friend drank too much even if they told her to stop and Momo (she guessed from the sound of the voice) whining about how she didn’t want Tzuyu to puke on her. 

She wondered when the group of friends stopped drinking and actually went to sleep. It was already 3pm and that Tzuyu girl had just woken up with a hangover. Good luck. 

« Hey, J ? Still here ? »

« Yes. » 

« Are you at your balcony ? » 

« Hm. » 

« Stay there, please. » 

Jeongyeon wondered what the other girl had in mind and crushed her cigarette on the floor. 

« Okay. Do you have a polaroid camera, by any chance ? »

« I think I do ? Wait. » she went back inside and searched for the thing Sana had offered her a few years prior and that she had never used. She shuffled around her room and found it in a box under her bed . « I have one. » she went back to the balcony.

« Nice ! Alright. At my signal, take a pic of the sky. Understood ? » 

« Yeah. » she secured her phone between her cheek and her shoulder. 

« 1, 2… 3 ! Take a pic ! » 

She did as she was told and heard a snap from the other side of the phone. She lowered the camera and took the picture between her fingers. She gently shook it and heard Chaeyoung do the same.

« Mine turned out nice. Yours ? »

« Same. » she stared at the color of the sky and the pretty clouds. She almost asked how Chaeyoung could say her picture was nice if she couldn’t see the colors, but thought it was too rude and didn’t ask. 

« Good ! Let’s take many more polaroids together, yes ? » the girl sounded excited, making jeongyeon smile wider. 

« Of course. »


	3. food truck

Monday morning, 6:40am

Jeongyeon grunted as the sound of her alarm rang loudly between the walls of her flat. She hesitantly reached for her phone on the bedside table, keeping her eyes closed, her hand roaming on the surface for a few seconds before she reached the device and lazily hit stop. 

She didn’t feel like getting up at all. Her sleep had been disturbed by the weirdest dreams she had ever gotten ; something about getting lost on a terrifying yet fascinating planet, with things she couldn’t recall but made her so uncomfortable she woke up multiple times. 

She pondered her options. Stay at home for day and miss the very few classes she had to rest a bit more but receiving a bunch of annoying messages from Nayeon, or drag herself to uni and feel like a good student without having to deal with her best friend. 

She slowly opened her eyes, and faced the faint ray light on the ceiling, staring at it like it would help her make a decision. After a little while, she felt tiredness hit her again, and she let her eyes close before falling asleep.

The dream, this time, was more… simple. She was alone, standing in front of the beach, a place she knew well near her grandparents’ house. She saw her younger self running around, a colorful kit flying high up in the sky. In contrast with he previous dream, she felt at peace. She wondered if it was a memory more than a dream - before she witnessed herself fall on the sand, before getting up quickly with a big smile like nothing happened. 

She wondered what happened in her life to go from a never giving up girl to someone who barely did anything with enthusiasm again. Her dream thoughts got interrupted when someone called her form the other side of the beach. She didn’t know If it was for her or her younger self, but she woke up before she could see who was there.

The light pouring in from the cracks of the blind told her that she had slept the whole morning. She rubbed her eyes before pushing the cover away and sitting on the side of the bed, stretching her arms and back. She didn’t bother checking her phone and made her way to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. she watched the water fill the glass and asked herself what she could do during the rest of the day. 

First, grab something to eat. She would think better if she was sitting in front of a good meal. She grabbed a yellow paper she had stuck to the fridge, a list of good places she had to try, coming form friends’ advices, internet researches, things she had heard here and there by eavesdropping a few times. A few names were already crossed out, and she opted for the last name on the list. 

She opened the windows to let some fresh air in, took a quick shower and grabbed some simple clothes and a jacket. She threw her pack of cigarettes in her backpack, her card and cash, plugged her earphones in before finally checking her phone for the first time today. A puzzled look settled on her face when she realized there were no texts from Nayeon, she could see her lock screen clearly, no notifications. She shrugged it off and left the apartment. 

The place she had chosen was not far, but not that close either. She decided to pass by a few streets she had never crossed before to get to her destination, and praised herself for it : the streets were lovely, a few interesting shops here and there, a nice atmosphere around. 

A really nice smell hit her noise and she walked a bit faster to the corner of the street ; a food truck was patiently waiting for new clients. She smiled at his appearance. Black, bold gold letters, shiny wheels. She got closer to it, and gave up on the first place she had planned to go to. This seemed better and, as she looked at the prices on the board, cheaper. 

« Hello, you ! » a voice joyfully greeted her. « my name is Lisa, what can I help you with ? Wanna order ? Do you want me to explain a bit more first ? » 

Jeongyeon gave her best smile to the girl and nodded. She listened carefully to Lisa’s explanations, about where the ingredients were coming from, how the menu worked, the different choices she had. Lisa was a funny girl. 

« Oh, this dish is my favorite ! I simply took it from an anime I watched with a friend a few months ago. Might sound ridiculous, but it is tasty… ah, I like that curious face ! Want to try ? I can give you a bite and you tell me if you want more ! » 

Jeongyeon felt her mood lift up again. She was glad she decided to wander around. 

Lisa gave her a title plate and fork, along with the dish. She cut a piece of it and gave it to her client. Jeongyeon guessed what it was on the first look ; her father being a chef, it wasn’t difficult for her. The dish looked good, golden mashed potatoes wrapped with bacon. She took a bite. The outside - the bacon - was a bit crunchy, slated just perfectly, and the potatoes mixed with the meat’s juice tasted heavenly, not to mention the wonderful, melting under the tongue texture. 

« I’ll take the whole dish, please. » 

« Sure ! Please wait a bit while I prepare your plate. » 

Jeongyeon sat on the stool in front of the food truck while waiting for the cook to take care of her order. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket : a text from Nayeon and a pic. Her and Sana eating at what seemed to be the most expensive menu of a pretty famous restaurant near their uni. ‘You’re missing out !’ She shook her head and snapped a pic of the truck - well, that’s what she intended to do before seeing a familiar figure on her screen. 

« There you go, Chae ! The secret take out menu for our most faithful client ! How’s it going today ? »

« It’s going well, we’re making good progress on our project with the drama students, it should be finished in time !» 

A cute cap, wide sleeves, well decorated shoes. Jeongyeon almost pinched herself.

« Chaeyoung ? » the younger girl turned her head towards her and the second she realized who had called her, a wide smile appeared on her face. 

« J ! What a surprise, what are you doing here ? Wait, scratch that, tell me what you dish you chose ! Hey, I’ll eat with you ! » she grabbed a stool and got closer to the pink haired girl, her take out bag quickly tossed away and her food settled in front of her. 

« You two know each other ? » Lisa asked in a curious tone. « That’s nice - but Chaeyoung, why are you only staying when there’s other people ? Can’t you just chat with me and not take out next time ? » a pout. 

Jeongyeon watched as the two other girls jokingly bickered ; and she realized that, bit by bit, her life was slowly becoming more and more tainted by Chaeyoung’s world.


End file.
